UFC Vegas 46: Who is Viacheslav Borshchev?

UFC Vegas 46: Who is Viacheslav Borshchev?

UFC lightweight Viacheslav Borshchev is looking to become the latest Russian star to make a run to a title in the promotion.

Borshchev is an intriguing prospect heading into his promotional debut at UFC Vegas 46 against Dakota Bush. At 30 years old, he’s still in the physical prime of his career and could potentially add another dimension to the division.

Borshchev presents a kickboxing style that has overwhelmed his opponents just six fights into his career. He’s a striker who doesn’t just throw wild punches and is very technical with his combinations and movement.

Borshchev got his MMA start in smaller promotions such as Legacy and Gladiator challenge. After winning his LFA debut in a dominant performance against Ali Zebian, he would go on to lose a razor-thin split-decision to William Starks at LFA 96.

This would be the start of something special for Borshchev. He would then earn back-to-back TKO finishes before getting the call from the UFC to compete on Dana White’s Contender Series.

Viacheslav Borshchev earned a wild knockout on Dana White’s Contender Series

Borshchev would go on to make the most of the moment on DWCS. He faced a Scottish prospect, Chris Duncan, who many believed had star potential in the UFC. But it was Borschev who stole the show with an incredible knockout that featured one of the cleanest left hooks you’ll ever see in MMA.

UFC president Dana White didn’t hesitate to give Borshchev a shot in the UFC after the impressive performance, after dealing with a rough opening round in which he was pressured heavily by Duncan.

Borshchev also trains at Team Alpha Male with some of the top talents in the sport; including Urijah Faber, Cody Garbrandt, and Josh Emmett.

Borshchev is still relatively young in his MMA career with a 5-1 record, but he’s looking to prove to fans that he’s here to stay in the exciting lightweight division.

UFC Vegas 46 takes place on Saturday, Jan. 15, 2022, live from the UFC APEX in Las Vegas, NV. Follow along with FanSided MMA, who is on-site, for all your news and highlights.